Intersteering connection for flexible vehicles.



R. B. FAGEOL, INTEHSTEEBING CUNNECHON FOR. FLEXIBLE VEHiCLES,

APPucmon FILED MAY3. 191s. 1,226,961. Patented May 22,1917.

2 SHEETS-S HEET l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nonmnn. raenon or OAKLAND, cmirronmui.

DITERSTEERJNG CONNECTION FOB FLEXIBLE VEHICLES.

' 1'0 all whom it may concern.

"trailer sl'lppm-ted by and overhanging the" rear of the same andwherein it isdesired to position the frame thereof in close proximity tothe road surface, and yet maintain the two membersclosely coupled.

The invention has for its principal objects to provide a drawbarconstruction by the employment of which vehicles may be closely coupledand when turning will be sufliciently' separated to prevent theinterferingoffthe rear wheels of the motor member with the body or frameof the trailer member; to provide a construction which will enable thesingle pair of supporting wheels of the trailer member to track in thepath of the wheels of the motorymemher, when either traveling 'n astraight line or when the Vehicle is t1. :ning; to provide'adrawbarconstruction which will permit of a-transverse movement of theforward or overhanging portion of the trailer member relatively to. therear of the motor member.

With the above mentionedand other ob-" jects in view, the inventionconsists in 'the novel construction and combination." of partshereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawlngs andpointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportion, size andminor details ofconstruction within the scope of the claims may bere sorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any 'of the advantages of theinvention.

To more fully comprehend the invention reference is directed to theaccompanying drawings, disclosing the piieferred embodiment thereofandwherein-- Figure 1 is a view in plan of a flexible vehicle, disclosing"the'niotor and trailer men; l ud illustrat ng the connection betweenth.. some.

'end'to block 25 by the nut 28.

i i Speciflcationof Letters latent. Patented May 22,1917, Applicationfiled Kay 3, 1916. Serial No. 95,182.

= Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line' 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'-is a sectional view'taken on line 3-3-of Fig.1. i I Fig. 4 is adetail sectional view takenon line L-AofFig. 3. l

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on Line 5--5 of rig. 1. 1 l 1 Referringmore particularly to the several .views of the drawings, wherein likecharacters of reference designate. corresponding parts, 1 and2 indicaterespectively the front and rear supporting .wheels fo'rthe motor membercarried by suitable axles 3fiwhich support the frame 5' carried by thefront and rear springs 6 and 7. A is the trailer frame consisting of themain frame members 8 dis posed close to. the road surface, the uprightmembers 9 which extend upwardly at right angles from. the forward endsof the members 8, and the converging members 10 which extend at rightangles from the. upper .ends of the members. 9 and overlie the rear ofthe frame of the .motor member', as in Figs 1 and 2. Transverse channels11 connect the main frame members 8, an%, embers 9 are connected bychannels 12. i flame members 10 which overlie the rear of the motor.member frame are connected by thechannel's 13 which carry the parallelspaced oppositely disposed channels 14 providing a guide 14'. A suitableblockor member 15 is mounted in the guide 14 formed by channls 14, andthe same carries theoutwardly disposed channels 16 which project intothe channel's 14, bearings 17 being mounted between the channelstoinsure an easy move- "ment of the block. Suitable springs 18 and .19mounted in' the guide 14 (provide a cue lonrn-g means in advance an inrear of th block, the outer ends of the springs abutting against the endplates 20, forming the ends of the guide 147 and are received over themembers 21 whichsupport the same.

To the underside of the block l5 is secured by the bolt 22 theball head23 which is received in the socket 24 formed in a cooperat ing slidingmember or block 25. The head 23 is prevented from accidental withdrawalfrom the socket by the curved keeper platei 26 pivotally mounted at oneend, as at 27, and held in locked position at its opposite mm or' blockThe iodliperating sliding m block 25 and the cl iiinels "29 permit of am.With the motor member t e cm i crating shoe, is such as to tt'o enabletwo vehicle zi'icmbe frame of the motor member in .2, guide 36*oppositely disposed relative to other.

Bearin s 31 between the hin es of t easy sliding movement of the blockin the guide 30. Tractoi. le'v'ers 33 recr- Wardly from the frame of themotor me ibers, as in Figs 1 e115. 2, and prefee ably a slight distanceeyoncl PLQZM su iporting Wheels 2. The ends the is 33 cooperate with theshoes or guides e tending'forwardly from the which are curvecl towercleach o" The trailer is carried by e supporting Wheels which a the axle36, the beii. porteti by springs 37 secured the ii/iw re and to thetransverse member 11 cool pi connected at their rear ends, as to thelower end of the member 38 a shock ehsorber B. l he shock absorbers ireof? any Well known construction and the iap ei cortipns 39 thereofcooperating; with th meow bcr S are pivotally connected 4L0 with thebrackets -21 carried ill-1V the bers 1i.

l Vhen the vehicle ahead the action oi" the sol ii 12 and ig'le psi-iiof carried. on

- block 15 is such as to lilitii'llliilfl trailer member closely coupledto the motor 3116H1- icvcrs 33 in the base ber Xvith the ends of the.tractor COIltilCi. with the m l the shoes or guides W ien- El 33 on theinner Cii'ci! rcnce will, owing toits swing, hear heevf the surface oithe shoe 34-, cooperati with, and depending on the More the turnseparate the vehicle memhe n inaccordance thereii'itln anal compress tic'iroi'et spring 19 in so doing, permitting the Wheel 2 on the innercircumference of the turn to tness of Clear the frame of the trailer mcuts under the overhang 3 same. The action of the circumference of theturn overhanging end of the trailer inciiihe iversely of the motormember to position the supporting wheels 35 thereof at i proper anglerelatively to the Wheels 'ol'f'thc motor member, to insure the trackingthereof with the Wheels of the motor member. in the turning of the motormember the eiiri of t a lever at the outer cii'cilmterenco of the til lowing to the seperati i) of the two vei. members, moves ore" iizoiipei'zitin shoe slight spaced relzit eroto.

I have provided a connection W motor member with the hotly or frame ofthe trailieix I have aiso provided a connection which pernfs of thetracking of the Wheels of the tr iler with the Wheels of the tor memberwhen the vehicle is rounding corner and revioieclas yielcling connectionbetween motor and trailer members. EIlVlLQ Q thus ilcsci my invention.What and desire to protect by Let- A Vehicle con rising a motor memberhaving steering 2 s. supporting Wheels and trailer r3 ember singie pairof T heels adjacent one end thereof, l i over the motor eoting saidvehicle members inciucliim' a guide extending tra nsverscl y the'inotormember, a pivotal connectioh. carr ed by the trailer member andcooperating with said guicle, and cooperat ingclevices carried. by themotor and trailer niemheis for causing a transverse movement of theiforiizirrl. Ni of the. tmiier member over i ino'lor i. amber members vin a cnrvecl path.

:2 1 vehicle coiiigiismg a motor member hm. s olntl. supporting; wheelsand 'Eltii her hi vmg single pair oln Wheels eo scent one Qi'lfilithereof, 51' and. projecting over the motor member, means for connectingsaid vehicle members zillfi permitting transverse ancl ion iti'sclimioven'ioot' of the overla' nine H 5 Hons ro vehicle members and coiipemtil'l'lL-(l by the motor and trail. \iSlBg a transverse andli'ingiturlmal movement of the overlapping portions '1 the two vehiclemembers when (iEUiSlnQ' transverse and longitiiclinei movement 01' t5 eovei l portions oi the two "u 1 members it 1o some traveliio'tor memher1 Wheels and single pair of 311d thereof connection leveen the thevehicie when seirl. Vehicle members, said connection permitting of atransverse and longitlulinal movement of the overlapping portions of thetwo vehicle members, a pair of traction levers carried by the motormember, a pair of shoes carried by the trailer member and with whichsaid ,,levers cooperate for causing a transverse and longitudinalmovement of the overlapping portions of the two vehicle members when thesame are traveling in a curved path, and spring tension means fordrawing said motor and trailer members together.

5. A vehicle comprising a motor member having steering and supportingwheels and a trailer member having a single pair of sup porting wheelsadjacent one end thereof the other end projecting over the motor member,a, guide carried by each of said overlapping portions of the two vehiclemembers, saidguides arranged at substantially right anles to earl]other,'a'bloek slidably mounted in each of said guides, a pivotalconnection between said blot-ks, spring tension means eooperating withone of said blocks, cooperating devices carried by the lnoto' andtrailer members for causing a transverse and longitudinal movement ofthe overlapping portions of the two vehicle members when the same aretraveling in a curved path, and spring tension means for drawing saidmotor and trailer members together.

(i. A. vehicle comprising a n'iotor member having steering and spporting wheels, and a trailer member having a single pair of supportingwheels adjacent one end thereof, the other end projecting over the motorv Y J member, means tor connecting sald vehicle movement of theoverlapping portions of the two vehicle members, when said vehiclemembers are traveling in a curved path.

7'. A vehicle comprising a motor member having steel-in and supportingwheels, and a trailer mem er having a single pair of supporting wheelsadjacent one end thereof, the other end projecting over the motormember, means for pivotally connecting said vehicle members, means tordrawing said trailer member toward said motor member when traveling inastraight path, and means for forcing said vehicles from each other whentraveling in a curved path.

8. In a vehicle comprising a motor member havin steering and supportingwheels, and a trai er member having a single pair of supporting wheelsadjacent one end thereof, the other end projecting over the motormember, a movable means for pivotally connecting said vehicle member,and means for shifting the pivotal connection when the vehicle membersare traveling in a curved path.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of the snbseril'iing witness.

ROLLIE B.- FAGEOL.

fitness:

I). B. RICHARDS.

